- Paperback: 200 pages
- Publisher: Vertigo (Mar 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1563890828
- ISBN-13: 978-1563890826
- Product Dimensions: 16.6 x 1 x 25.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
45,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Authors > Gaiman, Neil
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Product Description
Product Description
When 12-year-old Tim Hunter travels through the DC Universe in order to decide whether or not to become the world's greatest sorcerer, he is guided by the Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult and Mister E, and encounters Eclipso, Merlin, Deadman and other mysterious characters.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A 12-year old kid with glasses, with the potential to be a great magician but doesn't realise it yet, who acquires a magic owl? This may sound like Harry Potter, but Timothy Hunter, the hero of 'The Books of Magic', first appeared in comic book form in 1990 - and he definitely isn't public school material.
Timothy is just skateboarding around the estate when he is accosted by four sinister trenchcoated characters and taken on a journey from the beginning to the end of time, with detours through occult corners of America and the hidden land of Faerie. Along the way he meets pretty much every occult-related character who has ever appeared in the 'DC universe'.
This is an unusually deep and rich graphic novel. Roger Zelazny's introduction points out its structural adherence to the "hero's journey" model which Joseph Campbell identified as the heart of all myths. It's funny, charming, and chilling by turns.
As an accessible introduction to "magick" this book rivals Alan Moore's "Promethea" series. Along the way you'll learn with Timothy why you should never give your real name, why it's inadvisable to step off the path once on it, and why you should never accept gifts from the Fair Folk.
The books of magic became a series. This is the only one written by Gaiman, though he acted as a consultant to the later ones. Despite some good ideas, the later books fizzle out rather, partly due to being set in London but written by Americans - British readers will not be surprised that, as usual, they can't do convincing English dialogue and convey little sense of place. But the original is unfaultable, with a last page that makes me catch my breath every time. Just do yourself a favour and buy it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Of the 4 books of magic in this compendium 2 are actually stories with character, plot and action while the other 2 are meditations - 1 about the past, 1 about the future. Neither meditate very deeply and anyone who's read more than a handful of fantasy novels or comics will be able to predict the topics and observations made.
Fortunately the 2 books with stories are both are superb.
One is enlivened by the character of John Constantine, who Gaiman can write at least as well as Moore. Snide jokes, billowing trench coat, sarf landan slang and attempted murder every 10 pages. What's not to like?
The other is kind of a dry run for the "Midsummer Night's Dream" tale from "The Sandman". Faeries. Also known as vicious lying psychopaths. You just can't trust 'em...
Fortunately the 2 books with stories are both are superb.
One is enlivened by the character of John Constantine, who Gaiman can write at least as well as Moore. Snide jokes, billowing trench coat, sarf landan slang and attempted murder every 10 pages. What's not to like?
The other is kind of a dry run for the "Midsummer Night's Dream" tale from "The Sandman". Faeries. Also known as vicious lying psychopaths. You just can't trust 'em...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There may be some similarities between Tim Hunter and Harry Potter, but they are few, and even Neil Gaiman has the good grace to acknowledge that no work of fiction is created in a vacuum and that he and J K Rowling were both drawinfg inspiration form similar sources. Both characters are potentialy powerful magic users with glasses and a pet Owl but that is were the similarities end.
This book is less of a story than it is a journey through magic in the DC Universe. Tim is introduced to three eras of magic and the Faerie kingdoms by four well known magical practitioners of magic from the DC Comics pantheon in order to help him decide whether he wants to commit to a life as a wizard or just lead a mundane life. We are introduced to a series of fantastic and imaginative concepts as to how magic works in the DC universe and to various characters such as Baron Blood and Zattana. This book for me was more about ideas than a rivetting plot and I found myself pausing everyso often to just go over the concepts that were introduced in my head. The artwork is also a reason to pick up this volume as it contains the work of John Bolton, Scott Hampton and Charles Vess, who was wisely chosen to illustate the chapter set in the lands of Faerie.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in fantasy, its not just for comic fans either as you dont need to know anything about the DD Universe to enjoy this read.
This book is less of a story than it is a journey through magic in the DC Universe. Tim is introduced to three eras of magic and the Faerie kingdoms by four well known magical practitioners of magic from the DC Comics pantheon in order to help him decide whether he wants to commit to a life as a wizard or just lead a mundane life. We are introduced to a series of fantastic and imaginative concepts as to how magic works in the DC universe and to various characters such as Baron Blood and Zattana. This book for me was more about ideas than a rivetting plot and I found myself pausing everyso often to just go over the concepts that were introduced in my head. The artwork is also a reason to pick up this volume as it contains the work of John Bolton, Scott Hampton and Charles Vess, who was wisely chosen to illustate the chapter set in the lands of Faerie.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in fantasy, its not just for comic fans either as you dont need to know anything about the DD Universe to enjoy this read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
an amazing story
A very good story, crafted by one of the most outstanding creative minds of our mean age and drawn by four different and diverse pencils. Read more
Published 7 months ago by imanalien
The world of magic
Long before J.K. Rowling ever wrote about Harry Potter, there was another owl-toting, bespectacled young wizard with a destiny. Read more
Published 13 months ago by E. A Solinas
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